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Heart Valve Disease Care

Heart Valve Disease Care

Advanced Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Surgeries 

Your heart valves help your heart pump blood by opening and closing once per heartbeat. Heart valve disease occurs when these valves do not open or close properly, which can force your heart to work harder and make your blood circulation less effective. You have four different types of heart valves, and heart valve disease can affect any of them.  

What is aortic valve disease?  

Your aortic valve is your main heart valve that controls blood entering the heart from the rest of the body. Aortic valve disease is the most common type of heart valve disease and can occur as you get older. Problems with your aortic valve can include narrowing of the valve (aortic stenosis) and leakage of the valve (aortic regurgitation).  

What is bicuspid valve disease?  

Bicuspid valve disease is a genetic condition that causes abnormalities with your aortic valve.  

What is mitral valve disease?  

Your mitral valve is located between the left chambers of your heart. Problems with your mitral valve can include leakage (mitral regurgitation), narrowing (mitral stenosis) and bulging (mitral valve prolapse). It can cause abnormal heart rhythm or fluid buildup in your lungs. Over time patients with mitral valve disease can develop an enlarged heart and progress to congestive heart failure. 

What is tricuspid valve disease?  

Your tricuspid valve is located between the right chambers of your heart. The most common problem with a tricuspid valve is leakage or tricuspid regurgitation. It is often related to heart failure and lung disease. Patients with tricuspid regurgitation often develop bloating and lower extremity swelling. 

What is pulmonary valve disease?  

Your pulmonary valve controls blood flow from your heart to your lungs. It most commonly occurs in children and is caused by congenital heart defects.  

What are symptoms of heart valve disease?  

  • Chest pain 
  • Fatigue 
  • Heart failure 
  • Shortness of breath 

How do doctors diagnose heart valve disease?  

At the USC Valve Center, our multidisciplinary team of specialists, including cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons, will work with your referring physician to diagnose you and create a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs. We use the latest technologies to diagnose all types of heart valve disease, including echocardiography, 3D echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography and multidetector computerized tomography (MDCT). 

What are the best treatments for heart valve disease?  

As an academic medical center, we offer the most advanced and innovative treatments for all types of heart valve disease. We often treat the most complex cases that can’t be treated elsewhere, including if you have multiple valve defects. 

Our USC Valve Center specialists are leaders in heart disease treatment, with vast experience in minimally invasive surgical procedures and complex heart valve repairs, heart valve replacement and transplant surgery. We offer transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), which allows us to give you a new heart valve without open-heart surgery. A Ross Procedure can be a good option for younger patients with aortic valve disease. When you come to us for treatment, we work quickly to develop a treatment plan and repair or replace your valve so that you can go home as soon as possible.

Why Choose Us for Heart Valve Disease Care

We are ranked among the top programs in the nation for high-quality care in cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, according to U.S. News & World Report.

If possible, we use techniques to repair your heart valve instead of replacing it.

We offer minimally invasive techniques so that you don’t need open heart surgery.

A doctor checks a man's heart for signs of heart valve disease.